Tag Archives: work

Currently

My department at work is really into engagement. Therefore, we have a book club meeting of sorts tomorrow. Required reading on top of the rest of the crap I have to do is just want I need.

Work has been challenging and there’s no relief in sight. Therefore, I am so glad that I have a weekend getaway planned. Woohoo! I’m going to Toronto to visit one of my favorite people. I will probably be exhausted when I get home Sunday night, which should make work on Monday really interesting, but the change of scenery and face time with a good friend is so completely worth it.

Here I am, looking all confused while wearing my glasses. I wore my glasses yesterday as part of my Professor Melissa costume since I had to give that presentation. What do you guys think? It’s nice to wear glasses instead of contacts once in awhile, especially since I have a pair that I like. I also got my face threaded today. I kind of miss my bushy eyebrows but I don’t miss my Tom Selleck mustache. Threading is awesome and Patty, my threading artiste, is awesome.

Do you like these earrings? So do I! I just got these in the mail from my pal Jen, who handmade them. LOVE LOVE LOVE. There’s nothing listed in her Etsy shop right now, but contact her if you’re interested in seeing more. Yes, really!! I have several pairs of earrings made my Jen and a pretty turquoise necklace, and I love all of it.

April is coming to a close soon. Time passes too quickly. Way too quickly. The good news is that I can see and feel how much I’ve changed in the past week and month and months and especially in the past year. It’s nice to take a step back, evaluate myself, and feel pride in who I am. And I can only get better. I’ve still got more oomph to put into my efforts of getting stuff done and being a better and happier person.

The best way to describe how I feel right now? I kind of feel like Molly Ringwald in Sixteen Candles, right before this moment:

She had a shitty day that didn’t end so badly and then she started to feel pretty awesome about herself and then Jake Ryan shows up at her sister’s wedding after having looked for her all night and morning. I wonder if my Jake Ryan is looking for me… I LOVE YOU, JAKE RYAN. Pick me up in your cool car. Or, I can pick you up. Despite the title of my blog, I can drive.

Currently

It’s Sunday night and I’m waiting for Mad Men to come on. I’m also dreading having to go to work tomorrow. There’s thunder outside, but I’m enjoying a caramel-flavored coffee and passing the time by watching Doctor Who (zOMG, it’s the CYBERMEN! Help us, Doctor!).

Favorite links this week

McSweeney’s Internet Tendency: The Ultimate Guide to Writing Better Than You Normally Do. - Oh, McSweeney’s. I love you.

What does it take to come up with a really great idea? - I’m a sucker for this sort of art.

Jennifer Lawrence’s Favorite Books - Ugh, Jennifer Lawrence. You’re talented, pretty, funny, and you can read, too? Stop it. (Honestly, I just kind of love the shot of her reading on The Hunger Games set.)

The Awesome Story Of Caine’s Arcade - You’ve probably seen this already. Watch it again. (via Nerdist)

Chocolatepalooza: Chocolove, Koko Black, Artisan du Chocolat - I love chocolate! Nice review of a few chocolates that I now want to try.

Random

I can get these super delicious chocolate croissants at work. Despite them being non-vegan-friendly, I get at least one a week if they’re available. The best part of getting a chocolate croissant is ordering them with a French accent: “Oui, oui, I would like ze soy latte and ze shawcolah crorssahn, s’il vous plait.” Evelyn, my friendly barista, thinks I’m bonkers.

Updates

My skinny pants came in! I am delighted to report that they fit. Now, all I have to do is figure out some flattering outfits. I think I’m going to have to buy some new shoes that go better with them, too. Being a pretty lady is not easy… and I’m not 100% convinced that I don’t look ridiculous all the time, no matter how much effort I put in to my appearance.

Work was exhausting this past week. I learned a lot… a lot of stuff that I almost wish I didn’t know. We’ll see what happens. The good thing is that, no matter how busy or tiring work gets, I have great colleagues to lean on. I also have great colleagues who make me laugh ’til there are tears in my eyes.

I’ve had a great week of laughter thanks to friends, wacky work stuff, and funny podcasts. I love comedy! I really love laughing. And I really, really love when I make other people laugh.

Looking Ahead

I still have a secret mission that I’m hoping to complete by the end of the month. Uggghhh. While I’m completely aware that I need to be more proactive when it comes to making my wishes come true, I still have this hope that fate will throw me a bone and make it happen for me.

 

Pretty, Funny, Mysterious

It’s technically Thursday, but I’m in Friday mode since I took tomorrow off. It’s been a roller coaster week of sorts.

I literally had a sleepless night because I was worried about work, which is just so wrong. I think my job is secure, I’m confident I do a good job, and I’ve learned how to deal with change and different personalities. But something happened this week that bothered me so much that I didn’t feel better until I sat down to discuss it. Unfortunately, I had to wait a day, and I couldn’t stop wondering how the discussion would go. Would I be upset? Would I get aggressive and be disrespectful? Would I lose my nerve and fail to voice all my concerns? It all ended up okay, but I never want to lose sleep over work again.

In more fun updates, I decided to be bold and wear my lip stain a couple days this week. My work BFF told me it was pretty, and “pretty” kind of became a theme today in the weirdest way. See, I couldn’t figure out what to wear this morning, and I ended up solving my problem in an unorthodox (and very non-Melissa) way. I got so many compliments: “Oooh, that’s pretty!” and “Wow! You look so pretty today!” and “I like your sweater!” So… what was I wearing? Um… black pants, black sleeveless top, and a floral cardigan–Talbots brand–that I took from my Mom’s closet. I felt pretty awesome with my clever fashion choice this morning, but my sister, the person who knows me better than anyone, brought me back to earth by cracking up when she saw me wearing the cardigan.

I guess my fashion tastes are definitely changing. I really need to go shopping for two reasons. First, I want clothes that are more flattering versus safe/fits OK/dark/hides my fat rolls. Alright, it’s not like I want to put my fat rolls on display. And I’m being a little hard on myself with the whole fat rolls thing. I really need to stop typing ‘fat rolls.’ I’ve gotten inspiration from a couple blogs that provide great fashion ideas and advice.

jillgg’s good life (for less) is a great blog with a lot of ideas, product features, trends, and style tips. I love all the outfit ideas and photos. I especially love that the products featured on the site are affordable and just very cool. It’s my type of style. She recently posted an outfit using stripes and florals (see photo above) that I cannot get out of my head! Must shop.

Stylywear features more high-end fashion, but it is focused on corporate style and provides great advice. I started a mental shopping list in my head after perusing the blog for 20 minutes. When you see me in slim pants, leggings, or high wasted pants, you’ll know that it’s because I followed the advice on this blog.

In other news, someone anonymously left a gift on my work BFFs desk. We tried to solve the mystery yesterday, but we still don’t know where the fruit came from. I’m not above admitting that I’m a little jealous that she got an anonymous gift and I didn’t. What the hell?! But the whole situation has inspired and motivated me to leave secret gifts on other people’s desks… Hmmmm….

Finally, I am super jazzed because I booked two trips today! One is coming up in three weeks. The other is in late July. I am really looking forward getting away and chilling out with some of my favorite people. How lucky am I that I can afford to visit my friends and am welcomed with open arms?! I’m very lucky.

Dysmorphia

This post isn’t about my body. It’s about my mind, my skills, my potential. It’s also about trust and confidence.

I gave a presentation at work this week. I was anxious in the week leading up to it. I feel spastic when I present. Am I talking too fast? Am I pronouncing words correctly? Do I make sense? Am I making eye contact? Will I be able to answer the questions that are asked of me? Once I started the presentation, I felt good. I knew the material really well, so that helped. Was I as prepared as I hoped I would be? No. But I got through it. I got through the whole hour. People laughed. They engaged in discussion. They clapped and thanked me. I got some immediate feedback from a few team members. Later in the day, I met with my boss and he gave me good feedback as well.

What really did me in is when my boss’s boss talked to me about the presentation. If anyone would give me constructive criticism or be frank about skills that need improvement, it would be her. I was elated when I realized that she had only good things to say. She had heard through the grapevine that I was nervous, and she asked me if that was true. I told her it was. She said she couldn’t believe it.

I suppose I never worry that I’m too full of myself. Even back in my music competition days, I won a lot of 1st prize trophies… but in my head, there had never been that perfect performance. I can always do better. Always. Thus, despite all the great feedback I got on my presentation, I can’t help but think about what I will do differently so that my next presentation is better. On the other hand, without that feedback, I would still be thinking that the presentation was a disaster that nobody enjoyed.

I don’t like soliciting feedback. It scares me. I don’t want to hear anything bad. I don’t want to be patronized. I just want the truth. And the truth can be harsh. It really can. But the truth can be amazing, and hearing what other people have to say is one of the ways that we improve ourselves. It’s how we find out what we’re good at. It’s how we open our eyes to opportunities. I look to my trusted friends and to those I respect for an honest opinion. Here’s the thing: whenever there is anything less than positive to say, it is immediately followed with advice or questions to help me be better. It’s what we should all do for one another: tell people how wonderful they are and help them to become better people.

I will admit that I avoid anyone with negative energy or anyone who makes me feel badly about myself. I think it’s a courageous thing to do: sometimes it means ending relationships with people we love. But I depend on people to tell me who I am. After all, I’m nothing if I’m not around others, making an impact on their lives. I need them to ease my anxiety, affirm my attributes, point out my flaws, and even suggest paths and actions that I would never think of on my own.

People are my mirror. I am a mirror to other people. So, listen to what people have to say, and be thoughtful with what you say to others. It matters. Don’t hesitate to tell someone when they have done a good job. It may mean the world to them.

Work Stuff

Heya! I’ve been very much MIA on the blog and the Internet for the past several weeks. I started a new job five weeks ago (same company, different position) and it’s been an adjustment. I lost my two work from home days, I work later hours, and, with a few exceptions, I work with different people and serve a different function.

It’s weird feeling like the new kid when I still go to the same place. I have a new boss to impress, new rules and guidelines to follow, new co-workers with whom I want to form a good working relationship. All this trying to be a good employee is what has kept me off the Internet during working hours. It’s odd how disconnected I have felt, and I’m not just talking about the Internet.

Oddly enough, it’s after a particularly challenging week that I finally feel like myself again. Maybe it’s the thrill of finally having something exciting (read: kind of boring but important) to do. Maybe it’s because I feel like I have a real chance to prove myself and I think I’m actually succeeding. Whatever the reason may be, I finally feel like I can relax a bit.

It’s unbelievable to me that I held my last position for six years. Yet, if I think about everything that has happened since then, it’s almost harder to believe that it’s only been six years. Ew, I just got the heebeejeebees thinking that I might hold this new job for another six years.

But, anyway! It’s all good stuff and, like I said, I finally feel settled in and comfortable with my new routine. I finally have the inspiration to start blogging again, too. Wish me luck!